Folding device for feeder-carriers.



C. RODEBAUGH. FOLDING DEVICE FOR FEEDER CARRIERS.

, APPLICATION FILED MAY 6, 1915- 1,196,886.

Patented Sept. 5,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6. NH.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 T77 afioaew "cums Pnsns m. Pnomu'rna, wAsI-uunmu. u. c.

marrnn srarns ra rnn'r orrion.

CHARLIE BODEBAUGH, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE MAYTAG COMPANY, OF NEWTON, IOWA, A CORPORATION OF IOVJA.

FOLDING DEVICE FOR FEEDER-CARRIERS.

Application filed May 6, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLIE RODEBAUGH,

a citizen of the United States, residing at In- Threshing machine feeders, as is well known, are provided with long, trough like carriers usually equipped with conveyors, by which the stock is fed to the threshing machine feeder. These carriers comprise a stationary part and an extension which during transportation, and while the machine is out of operation, has mechanism folded back under the stationary part of the carrier and out of the way. In setting up the machine for use the extension is swung to extended position in which it forms a continuation of the stationary part of the carrier, and, according to the old practice is maintained in extended position by being supported at its forward end upon a portable post set up in the ground. This post forms a part of the equipment of the threshing machine feeder. When the machine goes out of operation it was necessary, according to the old practice, to remove the post and lower the carrier manually, swing it into folded position and manually secure it in folded position by hooking or tying it or by other equivalent means. The disadvantages of this operation are obvious.

It is an object of my invention to provide a feeder carrier in which the extension when placedin extended position is automatically locked therein without the necessity of its being supported upon a post, and to provide means for instantly releasing said extension from its locked extended position.

It isanother object of my invention to provide means whereby when released the extension maybe allowed to drop freely and under its own momentum will swing back into folded position and thereafter automatically become locked.

It is a further object of my invention to Specification of. Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

Serial No. 26,201.

provide means whereby the extension may be instantly released from its folded position and thereafter under its own momen tum will swing almost to extended position and can be guided and lifted the remaining distance necessary to bring it to such position, whereupon it will be locked automatically in extended position.

By means of my invention the portable post and the necessity for carrying and handling it and nearly all of the manual manipulation of the feeder carrier heretofore necessary is obviated.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation of my new feeder carrier. Fig. 2 is a sec tional view thereof on line 22. Fig. 3 is an elevation showing the parts in intermediate position. Fig. 4 is a partial cross sec tional view on line 44 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail elevation of the locking mechanism. Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective of the looking mechanism.

The feeder carrier made according to my invention comprises astationary part 1 attached to the threshing machine feeder by brackets such as 2 and having wide flaring extensions 3 and an intermediate vertical flaring portion 4:. The folded extension 5 is of trough shape and is provided with flaring wings 6 which form a continuation of the flaring extensions 4 when the extension is in extended position, in which position the complete device constitutes along trough in which rests the feeder carrier conveyer. The extension 5 is provided at its rearward end with a bracket 6 and the stationary portion of the .carrier has a corresponding bracket 7, these two brackets being hinged together as at 8 to permit the extension to be folded up under the stationary part 1, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Near the forward end of the, extension 5 is a transverse shaft 9 having at both of its ends collars 10 mounted in bearings formed in the brackets 11 fastened to the sides of the ex-- tension. Each collar 10 terminates in a cup like member 12 having an extension 18 thereon which forms a stop lug. Integrally formed with the collar 10 on the left hand side of the machine is a crank 14L by which this collar, and thus the shaft 9, may be turned.

Adjacent to the top of the stationary member 1 and at its forward end are mounted at either side bolts 15 which provide bearings for the enlarged bosses 16 upon the connecting pieces 17, the bosses 16 being confined by plates 18 secured as by bolts 19 to the feeder carrier, and by nuts 20 upon the bolts 15. integrally formed with the collars 10 are crank arms 21 spaced substantially 180 from the stop lugs 13, before described. These crank arms are connected with the connecting pieces 17 by the adjustable links 22, it being understood that the mechanism just described is duplicated upon the opposite side of the feeder carrier. The link 23 terminates in a handle 2-1- supported in a slot between the under bracket 25 of the feeder carrier, and the body of the carrier is connected at its rear end with the crank 14:. Thetorsion spring 26 surrounds the shaft 9 and tends to hold the parts in position wherein the link 22 is locked against the stop lug 18, as clearly shown in Fig. 6, in which position said link will cross the center of the shaft 9.

In operation, with the parts as shown in Fig. 1 the extension 5 cannot drop because it is supported by the link 22, which is locked in position in which it crosses the center of the shaft 9 and therefore cannot turn said shaft. If the handle 24; be pulled, however, the shaft 9 will be rotated and will throw the link 22 ofi center with respect to said shaft, allowing further rotation of the shaft, and the extension will of its own momentum swing back into the folded position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. As soon as it reaches this position, however, and because the centers upon which the link 22 and the extension swing are separate, the shaft will again be moved back almost to the position in which the link 22 will again be looked, as indicated in Fig. 6. The spring 26 will snap the parts into locked position and prevent their coming unlocked by rebound or vibration. only necessary to pull the handle 24 when the extension will automatically swing back to and remain in folded position under the stationary part 1 of the carrier. To restore the extension to extended position, the handle 2% is again pulled unlocking the parts, whereupon the extension will of its own weight swing almost back to extended position, and if guided at the right time by the operator, can be by very slight effort raised the remaining distance to bring it back into full extended position, as shown in Fig. 1.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. In apparatus of the class described, a two part carrier having a stationary part and an extension hinged thereto, and adapted to be folded up thereunder, and a single means operative for automatically locking said extension in either extended or folded position.

By this construction, therefore, it is- 2. 1n apparatus of the class described, av two part carrier having a stationary part and an extension hinged thereto, and adapted to be folded-up thereunder, a single means operative for automatically locking said extension in either extended or folded position, and manually operable means for releasing said locking means.

8. In apparatus of the class described, a carrier section, an extension hinged thereto and adapted to be folded up thereunder, a link connecting a point adjacent the top of said section with a point adjacent the bottom of said extension, said link being connected to a rotary element on said extension whereby said link will lie substantially across the center of said rotary element when the extension is extended and will thus resist the weight of said extension without substantial turning effect on said rotary element.

4. In apparatus of the class described, a carrier section, an extension hinged thereto and adapted to be folded up thereunder, a

link connecting a point adjacent the top of said section with a point adjacent the bot tom of sa1d extension, sa1d link belng c011- nected to a rotary element on sa1d extension whereby said link will lie substantially across the center of said rotary element when the extension is folded up, and will thus resist the weight of said extension without substantial turning efiect on said ro tary element, and a manually operated element to displace said rotary element and shift said link so as to permit the extension to fall.

5. In apparatus of the class described, a carrier section, an extension hinged thereto and adapted to be folded up thereunder, a shaft adjacent the bottom of said extension and having a crank thereon, a link connecting said crank and a point on said carrier section spaced from said hinge whereby said link lies across the center of said shaft when said extension is extended or folded up and will take the weight thereof without having a substantial turning effect on the said shaft.

6. In apparatus of the class described, a carrier section, an extension hinged thereto and adapted to be folded up thereunder, a shaft adjacent the bottom of said extension and having a crank thereon, a link connecting said crank and a point on said carrier section spaced from said hinge, a stop on said extension and a tension means on said shaft whereby said crank tends to turn to throw said link into engagement with said stop.

7. In apparatus of the class described, a carrier section, an extension hinged thereto and adapted to be folded up thereunder, a shaft adjacent the bottom of said extension and having a crank thereon, a link connecting said crank and a point on said carrier section spaced from said shaft whereby said crank tends to turn to throw said link into engagement with said stop, and means for carrier section, an extension hinged theretoand adapted to be folded up thereunder, a shaft on said extension having a crank thereon, a link connecting said crank with the carrier section, a stop on said extension and a resilient means to swing said link against said stop in which position said link will be across the center of said shaft, whereby as the extension reaches either extended or folded position said link will be caught and retained at centered position relative to said shaft and thus hold the extension in either position.

9. In apparatus of the class described, a-

carrier section, an extension hinged thereto and adapted to be folded up thereunder, a shaft on said extension having a crank thereon, a link connecting said crank with the carrier section, a stop on said extension and a resilient means to swing said link against said stop in which position said link Will be across the center of said shaft, whereby as the extension reaches either extended or folded position said link will be caught and retained at centered position relative to said shaft and thus hold the extension in either position, and means for rotating the shaft to displace the link and release the extension from either position.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name to this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLIE RODEBAUGH.

Witnesses:

D. G. CAMPBELL J. V. KELLEY.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

